Pynchon Character Names

[Paul Mackin]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Kohut" <markekohut at yahoo.com>
To: "Paul Mackin" <mackin.paul at verizon.net>
Cc: "pynchon -l" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 4:00 PM
Subject: Re: Pynchon Character Names


>
> Hey, he has read and I would presume reread the works.
> He knows at least the major themes and tropes of OBA.
>
> He's read the Companions' and other major compendia and analyses.
>
> Then, he does what we do, what the wikiers do, less Kleverly, usually: he 
> explores associations and meanings.
>
> I think I learned some High Puns to infuse my low magic.

I probably sounded too critical. It could be a fun book and if it's on 
Kindle I might order it or maybe even if it isn't.

But my feeling would be that if the "name" doesn't  penetrate our sensorium 
without prompting from a dictionary then Pynchon has failed in his mission.

It's not like looking up an established meaning in Webster or filling in 
useful background information from a Companion.

But who knows . . .

P



>
>
>
> --- On Tue, 7/21/09, Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> From: Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net>
>> Subject: Re: Pynchon Character Names
>> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
>> Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 9:27 PM
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Bailey" <sundayjb at gmail.com>
>> To: "Pynchon Liste" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 1:29 AM
>> Subject: Pynchon Character Names
>>
>>
>> > Has anyone heard of this? Or own it?
>> >
>> > http://www.amazon.com/Pynchon-Character-Names-Patrick-Hurley/dp/0786434589
>> >
>> > I can't think of another author with a comparably odd
>> book devoted to them.
>>
>> Can anyone give an example of the sort of thing he does?
>>
>> Hard to imagine his methodology (short of interviewing
>> Pynchon )
>>
>> Just imagination and past reading.
>>
>> How could one assign any authoritativeness to such a work?
>>
>> Not that it might not be a fun read.
>>
>> P
>>
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